Wanted man behind school lockdowns still on run

Tara Miko
Reporter
Tara started with APN in 2010 after graduating with a journalism and politics degree from Griffith University in Brisbane. After two-and-a-half years working on APN papers in the Bowen Basin in Central Queensland, she joined the team at The Chronicle in February 2013. In September that year she took over the reins of the Rural Weekly.

Detective Senior Sergeant McCusker said officers abided by that rule during the Thursday incident.

"Police attempted to intercept a vehicle but it failed to stop and police did not pursue the vehicle," he said.

"Police then received information of a car having crashed on a very sharp bend and the man left the area."

Det. Snr Sgt McCusker said police responding to reports of crime in the community relied on the information being relayed to officers.

Police at the scene of the crash that sparked a major manhunt.Nev Madsen

"When crimes are reported and when police need to locate a person, they use all the resources available to ensure those persons are put before the courts and to make sure the community is safe," he said.

"Police are trained to act in those situations and there is a command structure in place in the field as well as throughout the communications unit.

"That command structure then dictates what occurs on the ground and what resources are used.

"Police have a number of resources open to us and all those resources will be used."

Det. Snr Sgt McCusker said three large-scale manhunts in Toowoomba in nine days had not drained police resources with systems in place to ensure the community was kept safe.

"Police will still respond to tasks at the time and resources are spread among areas," he said.

"There was no drain on any other police calls to the service at the time.

"We will still allocate officers to calls. During high incident events, other jobs are detailed out accordingly."

A large-scale manhunt on Tuesday last week ended in the arrest of a 15-year-old boy after more than four hours.

A seven-hour manhunt last Wednesday night ended in a 27-year-old man being arrested and charged with a string of alleged offences following a reported shop steal at Bridge St.

Thursday's exhaustive search sent three schools into lockdown with the wanted man remaining at large in Toowoomba.

Police searching for the suspect in Glenvale yesterday.

FRIDAY 6.10AM: Toowoomba police are yet to locate a man who was the subject of a major police chase yesterday.

Detective Senior Sergeant Paul McCusker said police were aware of the identity of the man and were conducting further inquiries to locate him.

Snr Sgt McCusker said police did not think the man was armed.

The search started about 11am yesterday when officers attempted to intercept a vehicle on South St but it failed to stop.

Glenvale Christian School, Darling Downs Christian School and Glenvale State School went into lockdown on the advice of police, but reopened by 2pm yesterday.